Back to the Suture (in space-time)
by Spike396
Summary: Ao is left in another universe and tries to adjust but decides through what he learns that it'd be better for him to return to his universe.
1. Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land

Preface:

This Story starts after Eureka Seven AO (the anime) ends (episode 24) and therefore will contain spoilers from both Eureka Seven and AO.

Hereafter is the possibility of Spoilers. You have been warned

This story takes on the assumption that the world/timeline that Ao ends up in, after wandering through time with Truth and the Mark 1, is one different from any the other three he has been in: The original with Team Goldilocks, the second without Goldilocks but with Truth, or the third with Truth as his Archetype. The only thing technically known for certain about this world from the anime is that Gazelle's group have had meetings with the Japanese Government as the spokespeople for Okinawa, assumably about Independence. All else will be personal belief and story. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land

Ao surfed down towards Okinawa, looking at an island identical to the one he grew up on, and surveyed the many boats and mixture of cars and FPs crawling across the vast roads. He quickened towards the empty beach and set down, picked up his board, and started to walk towards town. He noticed ahead of him a large crowd that seemed to be making a large amount of noise. Walking, he started to hear cheering and music. There appeared to be a festival, but recalling the date that Truth had shown, he could not muster an event that could be celebrated at this time. He walked into the crowd, basically ignored by the Okinawans who were cheerfully eating. He bumped into a young boy.

"Excuse me, but what is the celebration for?" asked Ao

The boy looked frightened of Ao and turned away walking quickly towards his mother.

"Didn't you hear? Kinjo's boy got us full independence from Japan!" a voice said behind Ao

Ao turned to the stranger, a fisherman by the looks of it.

The fisherman had a large grin on his face, "He even got us back the rights to the fish!"

The man turned back to his friends with a cheer and continued to drink.

"_Gazelle got independence?"_ Ao thought. Outwardly he smiled, "Good for him"

"Hey kid, what are you? Another Alien?"

Ao turned to another man, this one much more inebriated than the previous. He realized the man was pointing at his hair.

Ao scratched the back of his head, "umm… no, I'm visiting family. I'm from… Europe?"

The drunken man laughed, "Haha, that's funny, it looks just like Amb-"

The man laughed almost too hard at his own joke, falling over, half-passed out. His friend caught him mid-fall.

The fisherman sighed, "Sorry about him, he's just glad we got independence here in Okinawa and drank too much. So you said you are visiting Family? Who do you know here?"

Ao gave a nervous smile, "Umm...I...My family was old friends with Dr. Fukai"

The fisherman scratched his chin, "Oh? Old man Fukai? I guess I can see some resemblance between you and her, but not Old man Fukai. I can really see how you-Hey don't throw up on me!" The man staggered off carrying his friend.

Ao paused. _"What did he mean by her?"_

Ao tried to look for the man but couldn't spot him or his friend. He sighed and walked out of the crowd and jumped back on his board. He started towards Fukai's clinic. On his way he passed over Naru's House.

Ao silently wondered, _"I wonder if she still lives there…"_

He continued to the clinic and noticed his Grandpa's van out front. He set down nearby and walked towards the door. He heard voices coming from inside.

Ao frowned, _"I wonder who could be visiting…"_

"Grandpa I'll be back after I stop by the party."

A girl, slightly older than him with long turquoise hair walked out and closed the door behind her. She turned towards him, bag on her back, and noticed him.

The girl cocked her head slightly to side, "Hello, are you here to see Grandpa?"

She trailed off staring at his head. Ao stared back.

Ao blinked before saying. "Um… yes, I'm Ao Fuk-Thurston. I came to see Dr. Fukai."

The girl gave a warm smile, "Hello Ao, I'm Dr. Fukai's Granddaughter, Amber. I've never seen someone with hair like mine…"

"_She looks just like mom, but with dad's eyes."_ Ao thought as he studied her

Ao gave a nervous laugh, "Uh… Yeah! In Europe, people are all about hair coloring!"

Amber giggled, "Ah! I see… Well if you'll excuse me, I have some errands to run. You can go in, he's just working on some paperwork."

Amber walked over to her FP and started it, moments later, Ao watched as she drove off down the road. Ao walked to the door and opened it, inside, Dr. Fukai sat at his desk opposite the room from Ao. He paused and looked up at Ao. He tensed up, startled, by the sight of Ao.

Ao cleared his throat, "Hi Grandp- I mean Dr. Fuk-"

Toshio looked curiously at him, "Ao isn't it?"

Ao replied hopefully, "Yes."

Toshio spoke, "I heard you say your name from outside."

Ao deflated, "oh…"

Toshio looked on, intrigued, "I wouldn't have guessed anyone would have hair like Amber…"

He trailed off looking at the floor. He stood up and looked at Ao.

After a brief silence, Toshio spoke, "Have we met? You seem familiar…"

Ao sighed, "Well… maybe I can explain."

Ao sat with Toshio as Ao explained how, in another universe, Toshio raised him after helping Eureka. He explained how Eureka showed up and about his almost non-existent father. He explained his endeavors with Blue Generation. Ao paused for a second after mentioning his friends in Pied Piper. He continued talking about Naru and Truth and the Scub Bursts and Secrets. All the while Toshio simply nodded and listened. Ao finished by explaining the Quartz gun and how it changed history.

"And now I am here," finished Ao

Toshio rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "So you are also the child of Eureka and Renton..."

Ao's eyes widened, "You mean? Amber is…"

Toshio Fukai nodded, "Of course, Renton and Eureka both disappeared during one of your 'scub bursts' about 14 years ago when Amber was only 3. But that is the only one I've ever heard of happening."

"You mean my dad was here too?" questioned Ao

Toshio Fukai gave another nod, "Yes, both Eureka and Renton came and lived with me for the two years after Amber was born. She pretends like she doesn't remember them, but I can tell she thinks about them all the time."

Toshio sighed and crossed his arms, "You mentioned Naru Arata. You say she was sick in your world, from the scub. "

Ao nodded.

Toshio continued, "Well, we have Scub Coral, but like I said, there are no Scub bursts or Secrets. Naru is not sick, to my knowledge, and as I understand it, she is not as serious as the girl you described. Amber has been friends with Naru ever since Naru was born. They spend so much time together they almost seem like sisters."

Toshio smiled. Ao pondered this new information until a knocking came from the door, drawing him out of his thoughts.

A voice came through the door, "Old man, is Amber around?

Toshio stood up and walked to the door. He opened it revealing Gazelle, Pippo, and Han.

Toshio Fukai sighed, "She's not here Jiro.

Gazelle scowled, "Tch, I told you it's Gazelle! Who's this now?

Gazelle looked past Toshio at Ao. He froze when he noticed Ao's hair. He walked past Toshio, staring intently at Ao. Ao just sat awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact.

Gazelle narrowed his eyes, "You. Who are you?"

Toshio crossed his arms, "He's Ao Thurston. He's the son of a friend of mine-"

Gazelle raised his eyebrow, "Thurston huh? I can only recall two people with that name, and they're gone now. Left a perfect girl alone with an old man."

Pippo blinked in confusion, "Gazelle, who are you talking about, aren't we looking for Amber?"

Gazelle looked back at the three at the door and shouted, "That was the name of Amber's parents!"

Pippo looked confused, "But Amber's last name is Fukai…"

Everyone was silent. Ao sighed, stood up, walked towards the door. Pippo moved aside. Ao felt a hand on his shoulder as he was on the threshold.

Toshio spoke, "Where are you going?"

After a pause, Ao replied, "I'll go see my friend."

Toshio frowned, "But she might not-"

"I don't care."

Toshio let go and Ao walked away, throwing down his board and jumping on. He heard Han's FP start up as he headed towards Naru's house. He set down in the front yard and climbed the stairs to the door. He went to knock, but paused. _"Maybe I shouldn't…"_

The door opened and Naru stepped into the threshold. She instantly stepped back when she noticed Ao in the doorway.

Naru blinked, "Umm… Can I help you?"

Noah crawled past Naru and recognizing Ao, jumped on his back.

Naru was surprised, "Noah! Get off of him! I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into him."

Ao smiled as Noah clung to him, "No its fine," Ao petted Noah and looked back at Naru, "I just came to-"

Naru hugged him. Ao stiffened up, startled by the suddenness of the hug.

Naru spoke, "I remember. I don't know how, but I remember."

Naru pushed him back, holding him by his shoulders. She looked at him top to bottom, tears falling slowly from her eyes.

"Who are you really?"

Ao and Naru turned to Gazelle who was standing with Pippo and Han at the bottom of the stairs. Gazelle looked menacingly at Ao. Gazelle started walking up the stairs, "Well? Answer me!"

Naru stepped in front of Ao, "What do you need with him? He's done nothing wrong."

Gazelle stopped at the top of the stairs. He leaned down so that he was face to face with Naru, "This kid claims to be the child of Amber's parents, and I want to know why."

Ao put his hand on Naru's shoulder and pushed her softly to the side, "I am from a different universe where things are very different than here."

Gazelle laughed, "You expect me to believe that? You're from another universe?"

"I know that the Gazelle I know was smart enough to realize that making fun of different looking kids was asinine. But I guess you haven't progressed that far," Ao replied staring Gazelle down.

Gazelle grit his teeth, "What did you say?"

Pippo grabbed Gazelle's shoulders, holding him back, "Come on Gazelle, let's just go look for Amber."

Gazelle didn't move, his mouth hung open. Ao realized that Gazelle was staring at his arm. Ao followed his gaze to where it landed, his mother's bracelet. Gazelle quickly grabbed Ao's arm and looked at the bracelet.

Gazelle: This…We were bringing...you piloted…

He trailed off, still holding Ao by the arm.

Pippo slowly looked back and forth between Ao and Gazelle, "Gazelle? Are you-"

Gazelle jerked Ao's arm towards Pippo, "Pippo! Do you remember this?" shaking slightly while doing so.

Pippo frowned, "Um… Yeah, didn't we lose that at the beach when you're FP crashed, and explo-Wait that didn't-" Pippo scratched his head thinking hard.

Gazelle turned back to Ao, "We need to talk."

End Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2: A Wrinkle in Time

Chapter 2: A Wrinkle in Time

"So thats everything?" Gazelle asked scratching his chin. He sat across from Ao and Naru. Han and Pippo stood behind him looking just as confused.

"Yes," Ao confirmed. He had felt uneasy talking about how Naru had become part of the Scub Coral, but she seemed to understand.

"I've had these dreams…" Naru started. Everyone looked at her. "It was like I was a part of the Scub, but I didn't understand what it meant." She looked up at Ao. "Now I think I understand."

Gazelle stood up. "Well, as much fun as it is talking to the time traveler, I have to go see-"

"Hey Naru!" Everyone looked at the door where Amber had just entered shouting. Amber noticed everyone in the room. "Oh Hi Gazelle! And Pippo and Han!" Gazelle walked over and whispered something in Amber's ear and they both smiled.

"Gazelle, everyone's watching!" Amber scolded him, playfully punching him.

"Hey! I can't help if you're this beautiful!" Gazelle replied smirking. Ao looked away awkwardly. He noticed Han, Pippo, and Naru doing the same.

"I don't know how she stands him," Naru whispered to Ao. Ao sighed. It was as he feared. Gazelle was dating his sister.

"We're here too Gazelle!" Naru yelled at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Amber apologized, pushing Gazelle behind her. "Naru! How have you been!" Amber finally noticed Ao. "Ao? Do you know Naru too?"

"Uh… It's kind of a long story" Ao replied smiling awkwardly.

"Well we can talk back at my house. I have to make grandpa his dinner or he'll get grumpy. Of course you're all invited to come over!"

* * *

They sat around the table eating silently. Noah ate happily sitting in Naru's lap. Dr. Fukai sat at his desk looking at paperwork. Gazelle put down his plate.

"So, do you want me to explain for you or are you going to?" he asked Ao. Ao put down his plate. Amber looked over at Ao, listening intently.

"Well, like I said its a long story and very-" Ao started.

"He's your brother from another dimension." Gazelle said, cutting Ao short. Amber looked at Gazelle surprised.

"My brother?" she repeated. Gazelle nodded. She looked back at Ao and smiled. "So, did you get to know our parents? I can't remember them very well."

"I was only raised by our mother and grandpa" Ao replied motioning at Dr. Fukai. "But I met them later. They did everything they could to save me from…" He trailed off thinking of what happened to Eureka and Renton's first child.

"From what?" Amber prodded. Ao sighed.

"From high Trapar levels." He continued to explain how in high trapar levels, a Coralion's Scub half would turn dormant and turn the body to stone. Amber listened frowning at the gruesomeness of it.

"They truly did care for us. Enough to fight and destroy that which they promised to protect." Ao paused. "They only wanted what was best for us."

"Then why did they leave!" Amber shouted, tears falling slowly down her face. "Why?" she whimpered. Gazelle sat next to her, his hand on her back. She turned to him and cried into his shoulder.

"They had to." Everyone looked at Dr. Fukai who had stood up and walked over. "They helped the military protect this world-" A knock came from the door. Dr. Fukai sighed and went to answer it. Han and Pippo went over to Amber to help console her. Naru and Ao looked at each other.

"She really misses them," Naru said in a sad tone. "But you must miss them too." Ao nodded. He brought to mind the image of his parents getting into the Neo Nirvash before he fired the Quartz Gun for the last time.

"Ao? Why do you need him?" asked Dr. Fukai to the figure at the doorway. Ao and Naru looked over. Ao stood up and walked towards the door. Naru followed close behind, Noah jumping on her back.

"Hello?" asked Ao to the figures in the doorway. The man stepped forward.

"I am Ivica Tanović from Team Pied Piper of Generation Bleu." He said, holding out his hand to shake. Ao stared at him confused. Ivica retracted his hand and continued. "We met with your IFO Truth. He appeared near Generation Bleu Headquarters and crashed. We found him and he informed us of where you were."

"But I only got here today…" responded Ao still not believed who he was talking to. "How did you find me so fast?"

Ivica crossed his arms. "We found Truth five years ago. He told us the date you would arrive, and so we waited until now."

"Five years," Ao breathed. He looked back at Ivica. "What does Generation Bleu do?"

"Generation Bleu is a Scub Research organization. We excavate Scub and analyze it and its effects on the Earth." Ivica replied.

"Research…" Ao repeated."So you don't have IFO's then?"

"IFO's? Generation Bleu does have some modeled after Truth but they are only prototypes." Ivica paused. "We will be able to talk more on the flight back to headquarters where you can meet with Truth."

"You're just going to take him right away?" Asked Dr. Fukai. "He just met with his friends again."

"Take us with then!" Naru spoke up. Ivica looked at her disapprovingly.

"This isn't a field trip young lady. This is official business I'm afraid." Ivica replied sternly.

"Naru, I'm sure your parents wouldn't agree either," added Dr. Fukai.

"I have to go Naru, I'm sorry, but I need to leave." Ao said turning to her.

"No! You can't leave again. I can help!" Naru grabbed Ao's shoulders, yelling at him. Her face fell. Ao could see tears starting to drip from her eyes. "You can't leave again…" Naru said defeated. She let go of his shoulders and grabbed Noah. "At least you can take Noah as a promise to come back!" she continued, handing Noah over to Ao. Ao nodded.

"I promise." He smiled at her.

* * *

"We have talked to Truth a great amount about your world," Ivica explained. Ao stood next to him on the bridge of the Triton.

"_The Triton looks almost exactly the same,_" Thought Ao looking around the room.

"He told us about how you used the Quartz Gun to change history." Ivica continued. "We have a theory on how you might be able to get back to your world."

"What?" Ao asked surprised.

"Truth has theorized that he could transport you back using a large enough amount of Quartz." Ivica replied.

"_Get back_?" thought Ao. The thought of seeing all his friends again made him feel hopeful. He hugged Noah close. Noah gave a small grunt of happiness.

"Rebecka, how long until we arrive?" Ivica asked.

"About 3 hours." She replied.

"3 Hours?" asked Ao. "How slow are we flying?"

"We need to refuel at an air base on the way back. We actually just came back from a research location and you were a little out of the way." Ivica explained. "You can use one of the rooms if you need to rest."

"Thanks," Ao yawned. He walked back to the hallway and towards a room. He pressed the button next to the door and it slid open. He flipped the switch on. In front of him sat Gazelle, Han, Pippo, Amber, and Naru.

"What are you doing here!" He asked. Gazelle jumped up and grabbed him, closing the door behind Ao.

"Shh… Naru and Amber wanted to come and we need to know what's going on with this big Generation Bleu." Ao looked worriedly at Amber and Naru who just smiled back waving nonchalantly. Ao sighed. He walked over to the bed and collapsed tired.

* * *

"**The Triton is preparing to dock. We have arrived**." came Ivica's voice over the intercom. Ao got up, rubbing his eyes. He looked around. Lying about with blankets laid Amber and Naru. Ao stretched.

"So you're up." Gazelle noted, sitting next to the door.

"How am I supposed to explain this to Ivica?" asked Ao, imagining the repercussions.

"Don't worry," replied Gazelle, waving his hand, dismissing the idea. "I can cover for everyone."

"I hope." Ao walked through the door and into the bridge.

"I hope you slept well, because Christophe Blanc, the president of Generation Bleu would like to speak to you." Ivica informed Ao. "Then you can see Truth." Ivica led Ao out of the Triton, through the hangar, and to the president's office. He knocked on the door. The door opened and the two walked in. Christophe Blanc stood up and walked over to them.

"I've been waiting five years to meet you Ao," Christophe smiled, offering his hand to Ao. Ao shook it. Christophe smiled. "We've learned a lot from Truth and the Mark 1 in the years up to now. He explained how the Quartz worked and how we might be able to help each other." Christophe gave a wry smile.

"What do you hope to gain from this?" Ao asked uneasily.

"Oh, just information really." Christophe replied nonchalantly. "We have already learned so much from the Mark 1's design" A knock came from the door. Christophe returned to his desk and pressed a button. The door slid open again and a woman and girl walked in. The woman was tall, blonde and very pretty. She wore a blue, tight dress that ended just below her knees and a pair of intricately framed glasses. The girl was wearing a wider dress that was barely off the ground. "Let me introduce my wife Sylvie and my daughter Fleur. Ao stared at Fleur and her mother letting the sight sink in.

"_Fleur's mother is alive here_." Ao thought.

"Pleasure to meet you Ao," greeted Fleur smiling. She gave a small curtsy. Ao gave a small bow back.

"I hope your flight went well." smiled Sylvie.

"Uh...yes," replied Ao still taken aback.

"Well don't let us bother you Christophe, we'll be going. See you around Ao." Sylvie said leading Fleur back out the door. They exited and the door closed behind them.

"You two looked adorable," Christophe said smiling at Ao.

"Wh-what?" asked Ao blushing slightly.

"You and Fleur," Christophe said motioning at the door. "I bet she'd love to talk to someone her age."

"There aren't any other young people here?" inquired Ao, thinking back to all of the other pilots.

"No, I'm afraid not." Christophe shook his head. "Mainly scientists and engineers in our facility. All graduates and doctors. Well, shall we go to Truth then?" Ao and Ivica followed Christophe out of the room. Christophe led them to an elevator and scanned his device.

"**Restricted Access: Christophe Blanc**" a robotic voice pinged. The elevator started to descend. The three stood in silence as they approached the basement. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Christophe stepped out and the two followed. He led them to large hangar doors and they walked through the person sized slit left open between them. Inside were about 20 people in lab coats and work clothes, all wearing safety glasses and hard hats, all busy looking at some part of a large IFO. Ao looked around. He spotted the Kyrie and Alleluia sitting next to each other, each with about 5 people poking around it. He continued to look and spotted what looked like the frames of team Goldilocks' IFOs. He then spotted a more humanoid IFO that was painted stunning white. It definitely had the Head of the Mark 1 but the body looked sleeker and more advanced. Christophe led them over to it.

"Using the information Truth has given us, we attempted to reconstruct the Mark 1 to its original model. How does it look?" Christophe asked, turning to Ao.

"It looks different." replied Ao trying not to insult Christophe. "It looks great but it's not what it used to look like." Christophe scratched his chin.

"We may have taken some liberties in the design but the functionality is what we aimed to emulate. I guess that was a bad question." He explained. "Well, you can test it out another day, we're here to catch you up with Truth." He walked over to a worker and spoke briefly with him. The worker nodded and pointed to the stairs next to the Mark 1. Christophe motioned to Ao and Ivica and the three ascended the stairway up to the head of the Mark 1. Ao noticed words printed on the chestplate.

"Mark 1 Terminus?" he read.

"Oh, yes that's the full name of the model." explained Christophe. "Fitting, don't you think? After all this time traveling, this is the Mark 1's final destination."

"I guess so," Ao replied unenthusiastically. He walked over to the cockpit.

"**Hey Ao, long time no see. Well, not for you I guess**." Truth's voice came from the cockpit.

"Truth, how long did you drift before you came back here?" Ao asked worried.

"**According to my records. About 1000 years.**"

"1000 years?" repeated Ao stunned.

"**Yeah. So the 5 years I've been here were nothing. Not to mention Christophe was gracious enough to remake the Mark 1**."

"Oh you flatter me," said Christophe waving his hand, dismissing the notion. "The information and feedback you have provided is much more valuable. It's the least we could do"

"Truth, what did you do for all those years?" continued Ao.

"**Well, I drifted and calculated,**"

"Calculated what?" inquired Ao.

"**How much quartz it would take to get us back to our world. I saw it Ao. Multiple times. While I drifted, I saw a great expanse of time.**"

"What did you see?" asked Ao hopefully.

"**Quartz. A fairly large amount too. I don't know how it got where it got, but I saw it before this time.**"

"So… it could still be there?"

"**Yes Ao, we may be able to find it with the help of Generation Bleu. Then we can return.**"

"And that's what I intend to do." added Christophe. Ao looked at him. "We have spent the past five years finding the location Truth saw and we think we have it pinpointed." Just then, Christophe's device went off. "Excuse me," he said smiling at Ao. He walked a bit off and continued talking. Ao sat on the floor next to the Mark 1. He sighed and closed his eyes. He imagined what it might be like back in his Universe. Did they think he was dead? Does he even exist there anymore?

"Ao can you come with me?" Ao opened his eyes. Christophe was standing in front of him with a very stern look on his face. "We'll have to come back to this tomorrow, there is a sort of situation." Ao stood up and they returned to the elevator and went back to the hangar. When they arrived, Ao immediately noticed the line of stowaways standing next to Rebecka. Gazelle had an indifferent look on his face.

"Here are the five stowaways I found on the Triton," Rebecka explained, showing mild anger.

"And you are all here on Ao's behalf I suppose," inquired Christophe, his arms crossed.

"Actually I was here to talk to you," Gazelle said in a professional voice. "I'd like to discuss this with you if I may." Gazelle led Christophe off a ways and started talking to him. Ao walked over to the Naru.

"I hope we didn't cause you any trouble," She said worriedly.

"No, don't worry, I'm sure Gazelle has that covered." Ao replied, glancing over to where Gazelle and Christophe were talking.

"That's a relief," Naru sighed. "I told him that we shouldn't have, but I couldn't let him take Amber alone with him." Christophe and Gazelle walked back over to the group.

"We've made an agreement to house the five extras and… sloth in trade for help from the Gazelle Agency." Christophe explained. "Rebecka, if you could give them all identification cards and assign them living quarters."

Rebecka sighed."Follow me then, " Rebecka motioned to the group. they all started to follow.

"Not you Ao," said Christophe. "You'll have specific living space."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank You for reading. Please leave a review if you are inclined. Thanks to those who have already left reviews!


	3. Chapter 3: This Perfect Day

Chapter 3: This Perfect Day

Ao sat silently next to Christophe Fleur as he drove a small car down the lamp lit streets of the Generation Bleu living area. Ao looked out the window at the familiar buildings, the windows shining through the dark. Christophe stopped the car in front of one of the identical houses and looked at Ao.

"Here we are," he smiled, turning to Ao. Ao opened the door and stepped out. He turned back to face Christophe.

"We'll meet tomorrow so you can try out the Mark 1 Terminus." Christophe told Ao through the window. "I'm busy until the afternoon, so you can spend the day doing whatever."

"I can't do it right away?" Ao asked.

"The engineers need to do final checks before he is ready, and besides, I want to be there for the maiden flight." Christophe smiled again. "Alright, good night!" He finished driving off. Ao started walking to his darkened door holding his key. He heard the sound of the engine die out.

"_That's odd,_" Ao thought, "_Christophe wasn't driving fast enough to be out of earshot yet._" Ao turned and looked down the street. there was no car on the street except the one parked in front of the house adjacent to his. As he looked at the lone car, the door opened and Christophe got out. Christophe noticed Ao staring and waved. "_Christophe?_" Ao stared puzzled. Christophe walked up to the door of the house and it opened. The silhouette of a woman stood in the door. Ao finally figured out what had happened. "_Christophe assigned me to live next door to his family_." Ao sighed. "_That's just like him_." Ao opened his door and stepped in.

* * *

Ao opened his eyes to the sun pouring through his window. He rubbed his eyes, yawning. He cleaned up his room and got dressed for the day. "_Different universe, same clothes_." he noted tying his tie. He walked down the stairs and walked out the door. Out in front was a car with Gazelle leaning up against the driver's side door, arms crossed and looking at the ground.

"So the big man lives next to the president." Gazelle said looking up Ao.

"How'd you know where I was?" asked Ao.

"I work directly for the President," Gazelle replied simply, "Come on, everyone's waiting for us." Gazelle and Ao got in and Gazelle drove off. They drove to the garage and took the elevator to the main floor. They walked over to the food court where Naru and Amber were sitting. Behind, Noah hung from a small tree. As they walked up, the two were giggling uncontrollably.

"He really said that?" asked Naru, her body shaking from laughing.

"Yeah, Gazelle's a real charmer," Amber smiled.

"Ahem." Gazelle coughed to get their attention.

"Oh, sorry!" Amber blushed standing up.

"Morning Ao," Naru greeted still smiling.

"Morning to you too," Ao replied sitting down. Gazelle whispered something angrily to Amber.

"Naru's my friend," Amber replied indignantly, "I can tell her what I want about who I want."

"Amber was telling me that Gazelle-" Naru started to tell Ao, but Gazelle cut her off with another cough. Naru stuck her tongue out at Gazelle.

"Such a kid," spat Gazelle. Gazelle whispered something to Amber and stormed off.

"Don't worry about him," smiled Amber, "Naru and I always used to tease Gazelle," Ao smiled. He was glad that they were all here with him.

"May I sit with you?" asked a familiar voice. The three turned to see Fleur, in a casual blue dress, smiling and clasping her hands.

"Of course," Amber replied motioning at the empty chair. Fleur nodded and sat down. "I'm Amber and this is Naru and Ao." Amber continued.

"Ah yes, Ao and I met yesterday," she smiled. Ao blushed a little. She seemed a lot more feminine and sweet.

"_I guess since she didn't lose her mother, she never became resentful of her father_." Ao thought.

"Oh?" asked Naru, looking at Ao who was spacing out. "You didn't mention that you met…" Naru looked back at Fleur, since she didn't actually know her name.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Fleur Blanc." She replied a little embarrassed from not properly introducing herself. Naru looked back at Ao. Ao shrugged.

"I was more worried about what Christophe would think of stowaways." He explained.

"Stowaways?" Fleur gasped, glancing from Naru to Amber.

"Uh... we wanted to accompany our friend Ao and learn about the other universe he's from," Amber explained. Fleur stared at Ao, wide-eyed. Ao sat awkwardly under Fleur's gaze.

"Another universe," Fleur whispered. Ao looked up at her. She was now staring at the center of the table, lost in thought. Amber and Naru looked at Ao as if saying, 'what's up with her?'

"Fleur," Ao said interrupting her thoughts. She shook her head slightly and looked up at him. "Are there many people your age around here?" he asked, although he already knew.

"Uh, no." Fleur answered disheartened. "I usually just spend time with my family."

"Well, that sounds like you care about your family very much," Naru consoled, glaring at Ao. "I think it must be hard living in a facility like this in the first place, all cooped up."

"Oh it's not that bad. I swim a lot." Fleur insisted. "There's plenty to do around here!" Ao remembered all the time they laid about while he was always focused on fighting secrets. He would love to be able to go back and relax with his friends.

"Can we?" Amber asked excitedly, "Swimming sounds really fun right now!"

"Um, yeah, sure." Fleur replied a little surprised. "I guess we just need to get everyone swimsuits." Amber and Naru stood up excitedly.

"Let's go!" they yelled in unison. Amber grabbed Fleur's hand and Naru pulled Ao up. The four dashed off. Noah looked around. A tall hunched figure walked over and picked him up.

"Nice to see you again," Ivica said scowling as usual.

* * *

"This is so refreshing!" Naru smiled, floating on her back in the pool. Amber swam over to her.

"Watch out for the waves!," Amber yelled, splashing Naru. Naru gave a small scream of surprise and proceeded to splash back. At the side of the pool, Ao and Fleur sat in their swimwear, dipping their feet in the water.

"You have quite the friends," Fleur noted, giggling at the two girls splashing each other. "But I guess it must be weird having to make new friends…" her voice wavered out. Ao looked at her. Her face was hunched over, her hair falling to obscure her face.

"Uh, well to be honest, Naru remembered me somehow. It's as if her other self shared memories of me with her. The same happened with Gazelle and his friends."

"Gazelle?" she asked, face still blocked.

"Oh, he's a friend of ours, he convinced your father to let everyone stay." Ao explained. He sighed. "He also is dating Amber, but I still considered him a good friend from my universe. He was one of the only people to stand up for me." Ao smiled, remembering Gazelle's speech that he used to defend Ao against his own father.

"Tell me Ao," Fleur said quietly, "did I know you too?" They sat silently, Amber and Naru now floating on their backs. The only sound was the periodic slap of the water on the walls of the pool.

"Yes." Ao replied, almost begrudgingly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Fleur continued, her voice audibly shaky.

"Well...I didn't want to force it on you. Everyone else seemed to remember on their own." Ao replied simply. "It wouldn't seem right." Ao felt himself slipping forward. He splashed face first into the water. Fleur had pushed him in. Amber and Naru looked up. Fleur stood up and started walking away to the changing room. Ao surfaced and took a gasp of breath. Naru swam over to him.

"What happened?" Naru asked, glancing at the disappearing figure of Fleur.

"She's exactly the same." Ao replied smiling a little, "superficially serious."

"You knew her?" asked Naru.

"Yeah, but she doesn't remember me like you do. She felt left out and, I think, betrayed." Ao said, thinking it over. He sighed. "I'm going to have to go apologize."

"For what?" asked Naru, confused.

"For not being her friend." Ao got out of the pool and walked to his towel. He checked his watch. They had been in the water for only an hour. He still had plenty of time before the test flight. He walked off, Naru and Amber watching him as he left.

"Ao…" Naru softly called. Amber splashed her. "Hey!" Naru giggled retaliating.

* * *

"Have a fun dip?" asked Gazelle who was leaning next to the door to the changing rooms.

"Did you see Fleur come past here?" asked Ao.

"Who?" asked Gazelle, clearly lying.

"You know who! You should remember her!"

"Ah! I see. Ao finally decided to hook up with his pilot friend." Gazelle sneered. Ao sighed again and started to walk off. "She went towards her dad's office. Looked like she was going to cry." Ao nodded and headed off. He walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. He thought about what he was going to say. He couldn't just expect her to understand without remembering him. But was it worth remembering him if he was just going to leave in a few months, maybe even only a few weeks? The elevator arrived and he stepped in. He pressed the top floor button and the elevator accelerated upwards. He thought it all through again. To leave her hurt now, or to possibly hurt her by leaving later.

"_She's mature enough to understand, so I should try to talk to her_," Ao decided. The doors opened again and Ao strode out. He turned the corner towards the president's office and stopped. He saw Fleur sitting on the ground outside the door, head buried in her arms. He walked quietly over. She made no move, but he was certain she knew he was there.

"Fleur," Ao started. He stopped. He looked at the ground helplessly.

"Was I not trustworthy enough?" Fleur spoke, choking on tears. Ao stood in silence. "Was my other self so bad that I don't deserve to know? My father doesn't tell me anything either. I'm just the unaware child. 'She doesn't need to know, so why tell her?' Why do I have to be so alone?" she looked up, tears soaked in her sleeves and covering her face.

"I wish I could show you." Ao muttered. Fleur wiped her eyes. "But I don't know how." he said in a defeated tone. Ao sat down next to her. He clenched his hands into fists. "I'm sorry I can't help." The president's door opened. Christophe strode out.

"Fleur, I'm sorry I took so long, what is it?" He said into the empty space before him. He paused and looked around, finally spotting the two sitting. He walked over and noticed Fleur's state. "Oh dear, Fleur what happened," He asked genuinely concerned. He glanced at Ao looking for an answer. Ao stood up.

"Can Fleur come to the test flight today?" Ao asked. Fleur looked up.

"Um... I don't know if it would interest her." Christophe shrugged. Ao looked back at Fleur.

"I think it'll help." Ao nodded. Fleur gave a small nod back.

* * *

"Alright," directed an engineer. "Start when you're ready." Ao sat in the Mark 1 Terminus. Christophe and Fleur stood nearby with the engineers and technicians. Ao gave a thumbs up to the workers and they all waited.

"**You ready Ao**?" asked Truth.

"Yeah, let's go." Ao nodded. The Mark 1's engines fired up and it rose, the gate above it opening. "Launch!" Ao shouted. The Mark 1 lifted quickly through the tunnel to the open air. Ao piloted around, getting a feel for the controls. The Mark 1 handled well and felt smooth. Ao pressed a button and two blades fell into the Mark 1's hands.

"Knives? No guns?" asked Ao.

"**Christophe thought it would be a bad idea to weaponize it immediately**," Truth explained. Ao nodded. It made sense and yet Ao remembered the Alleluia and Kyrie.

"_What is Christophe planning?_" Ao thought.

"How's it handling?" Christophe's face appeared on Ao's screen, Fleur standing next to him.

"It's great. Feels natural." Ao leaned back. "Although I'm used to being strapped in." he recalled.

"Yes, Truth mentioned that. You had a specific pilot suit, correct?" Christophe inquired, rubbing his chin.

"Yes, all the pilots did," Ao nodded. Christophe motioned to an engineer and said something Ao couldn't make out. Fleur stared at Ao through the screen. Ao looked around the Mark 1. He looked over the vast forest to the mountains.

"Alright Ao, come on back." Christophe said facing the monitor again.

"Right," Ao nodded, steering back to the base. The image closed and he sped back to the gate. He slowed and descended through the tunnel. He landed with a small clunk and powered down. A team pushed the stairs over to the side of the Mark 1 and locked it into place. Ao opened the hatch and stepped out. He walked down and over to Christophe who was talking with the excited IFO crew. Christophe turned to Ao smiling.

"Great job!" He praised. Ao shrugged.

"I expected good results from your team, so piloting wasn't hard at all." Ao replied simply.

"Now, I don't know if you'd be willing, but would you also test our other designs: The Kyrie and the Alleluia?" Christophe asked. Ao looked at Fleur.

"Why don't you let Fleur try?" Ao asked as if it was obvious. Christophe looked confused.

"You're the only one with any experience piloting these." He explained. Ao nodded.

"I understand I have experience, but Fleur was a pilot in my universe and I think she could do it again." Ao suggested. Christophe shook his head.

"It's too dangerous. I won't have my daughter put in any danger because of a hunch. I'm sorry, but it's out of the question." Christophe crossed his arms.

"Well, can she at least see the cockpit?" Ao asked hopefully. Christophe shrugged.

"If it'll get you to drop the notion of her flying, I'm okay with it. But it's ultimately up to her." Christophe looked to Fleur for an answer. Ao looked at her too. Fleur glanced at both of them and nodded once. Christophe sighed.

"Alright, move the stairs over to the Alleluia." The crew unlocked the stairs and pushed them over to the Alleluia. Ao, Fleur and Christophe walked behind. When the stairs were set, Ao led Fleur up them and opened the hatch. Fleur leaned over and looked inside.

"Jump in," Ao said motioning at the seat. Fleur slowly stepped inside and sat down. She awkwardly sat, arms and legs crossed. She glanced around the cockpit, unsure of any of the controls. Ao scratched his head. He had expected some kind of result. "Here," Ao said grabbing Fleur's hand and placing it on the steering. Fleur gripped the handles and uncrossed her legs. Immediately she let go and put her hands to her face. "Are you ok?" Ao asked worried. He heard what sounded like crying. Fleur turned to him, removing her hands from her face, a tear falling from her eye. She slapped him hard. Ao stared stunned.

"You're so selfish!" Fleur yelled. "You left us to follow your father." Ao put his hand on his head apologetically. "You left me…" She whispered. Ao rubbed his face where he had been slapped.

"What was that?" he asked having not understood her mumble.

"I said 'you left us" Fleur looked away blushing slightly.

"Oh… I had to. I had to stop my dad." Ao said thinking back. "Do you remember all your pilot experience?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I remember." Fleur said indignantly, crossing her arms again. "But I'm not going to pilot in a dress." She stood up and stepped out. Ao watched her walk down the stairs and over to her father. He shrugged and got into the Alleluia.

* * *

"We should be able to recover the Quartz in about a week if our intel is correct." Christophe explained to Ao. They sat in a car as Christophe drove them back to their houses. Fleur had left after Ao started testing the Alleluia and Kyrie and was already at her home. "Our digging crew has established a work zone and have broken ground on site." Christophe continued. "After that, we can research the Quartz for a couple days and hopefully be able to get you back home." Christophe smiled at Ao. "If you still want to go that is." Ao looked back at him, listening for his reasoning. "What I mean to say is that I think you could really fit in here. I don't mean to be pessimistic but it's not like we can assume that the Quartz will work exactly the same as it did for you. I guess I'm saying that you might need to think about if you're stuck here. Well… stuck is a bad word. Maybe we're reaching too far with this whole escapade." Christophe looked at Ao seriously. Ao stared forward. The thought of not being able to return hadn't crossed his mind after Christophe mentioned the Quartz.

"I... I have to…" Ao couldn't speak. He could only imagine not being able to see his original world again.

"Hey, it wouldn't be so bad. You have friends here. That's pretty lucky for your situation." Christophe stopped the car. "Here we are." He looked at Ao. Ao just sat in silence. "I'm sorry I brought it up, I didn't mean to worry you." Christophe apologized. He put his hand on Ao's shoulder. "Hey," Ao finally looked at him. "You have friends here. Don't forget that we're all here for you too," he patted Ao on the back. Ao thought back to when he first joined Generation Bleu in his Universe and Christophe had said:

"_All the pilots are like my children."_

Ao got out of the car and walked to his house, shoulders slumped. He fell onto his bed and lay, face in his pillow. He turned over and stared at his empty ceiling.

"_What's the point of remembering me if I'm going to leave anyway?_" He thought, "_Why did I bring Fleur and everyone into this?_" He had too much to think about. He lay thinking, "_Can I really care less about one person who is so similar just because they are from a different Universe?_" Ao sighed. He was tired. "I can decide later, right?"


	4. Chapter 4: Looking Backward

Chapter 4: Looking Backward

"Drilling has yet to yield any quartz," explained the dig leader. "We have not yet reached the exact coordinates of the sighting, but we are nearing them." Christophe nodded to the screen.

"Well, keep us updated." he said turning to Ao. "Well, you heard him. We're close," Christophe smiled. Ao just sighed. He didn't want to get too hopeful.

"Is that all for today?" Ao asked. Christophe walked to his desk and sat down.

"Yes, I'll tell you if we have an update from the dig team or if the technicians want you to test something out down in the hangar." He said, looking at some papers on his desk. Ao nodded and left the office. Naru and Amber walked over to him as he did.

"What's the news?" Naru asked.

"They are close to the theoretical solution to getting me home." Ao said, looking down as he spoke. He sighed. Amber and Naru looked at each other.

"Ao?" Naru asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should talk about this?"

"What's the point of talking now? Either I leave and it doesn't matter or I can talk all about it when I'm stuck here forever." Ao said slowly walking away.

"No, you have to tell me about mom and dad." Amber scolded him grabbing his arm. "And you don't get a choice in the matter."

* * *

Ao sat slumped in his chair. Naru sat, hands on her lap, giving Ao a consoling look. Amber stood a bit off talking to Gazelle. Ao ignored all of them. He focused on the floor and waited.

"Ao," Gazelle called over to him. Ao didn't react. Gazelle sighed and walked over. He gave Naru a look and sat down next to Ao. "Amber told me you were talking about your parents. And you mentioned that I hated them for leaving." He looked at Ao. "I don't hate you for wanting to leave. No one does. We understand why you want to return. I only said I hate your parents because they hurt Amber." Ao crossed his arms. Gazelle stood back up. "If you don't want to talk to me, then don't. But I won't accept it if you won't talk to Amber anymore." He walked off with Amber. Naru stood up and started to leave.

"Naru," Ao said looking up. She looked back. "Can you tell me more about the Scub?" Ao asked, standing up. "I need to know if I hope to fix the problem in my world." Naru thought for a moment.

"Fine. But you need to apologize to Amber after." She said sternly. Ao nodded and sat down, while Naru sat next to him. "Alright. So the dreams started about a month before you came. There was a big scare about the Scub because it started glowing." Ao looked surprised. Naru motioned for him not to interrupt. "Nothing happened to me, but I clearly remember dreaming about being a part of the Scub. I heard its voice and I was scared. But as I dreamt more and more, it became natural to me. I learned about it. It's a living thing." Ao nodded. He knew that, Eureka came from Scub after all. Naru continued, "I was confused that the Scub was so large, but had such a little amount active. But it told me that it was hiding. It didn't release spores or plant itself in other places. I don't know why, but then you talked about Secrets and it seemed to make sense."

"But the Secrets don't exist anymore, there is nothing to destroy the Scub," Ao interrupted. Naru looked at him intensely.

"There is something far worse than Secrets." She explained. "If Secrets are an immune system, these things are a kill-switch. They would destroy the planet in order to stop the Scub from reaching the Question Limit."

"The Question Limit?" Ao asked.

"If there are too many sentient lifeforms in an area, reality will collapse." Naru breathed. Ao gripped his chair. "Thankfully, the Scub already knew about this and forced itself into hibernation. But without the Secrets, the other things will activate at levels far lower than the Question Limit. Therefore, the Scub has had to be overly-dormant."

"Alright." Ao stopped her. Naru looked over at him. Ao sat tense, still holding his chair. "But if that is so, how can I stop the Secrets without destroying the Scub? How can I stop the Scub from infecting people?" He asked, starting to shout.

"I don't know…" Naru admitted, looking away. Ao relaxed.

"Can't do anything." He whispered.

"Don't say that!" Naru shouted. Ao slowly looked up at her. She was standing, looking down at him. "You always try and do everything yourself! Maybe you should try letting others help!"

"But you don't have any idea either." Ao pointed out.

"I may not, but your version of me might." Naru rebutted, crossing her arms. "Come on, time to apologize." Ao nodded and stood up.

* * *

"Amber, I'm back!" Naru shouted, opening the door to their house. The lights were out. Ao heard the faint sound of water running. Evidently Naru also noticed because she motioned him to a seat and headed to the bathroom. She knocked and went it. Ao sat quietly. He heard muffled voices from upstairs. He heard the door open. Naru walked back down the stairs. "She is taking a bath, so she may be a while." she shrugged. "You can leave if you want. I don't know if she'll even want to talk anyway." Ao frowned. Now he really felt bad for being rude.

"If it's okay, I'll just wait around." He suggested. Naru shrugged again.

"It could take a while, she really is in a bad mood." Naru said glancing at the clock on the wall. "Not to mention it's getting late." Ao checked his device. No messages. He glanced out the window as the street lights started to light up.

"I'll stay. I think it's the least I can do." He finally responded. Naru nodded and walked upstairs. Ao lay down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't very tired, but he felt himself drift off to sleep. He dreamed that he was at the drilling site and they had drilled into a large cluster of Scub. Suddenly the Scub activated and glowed brightly. He shielded his eyes and saw the quartz. The earth began to shake as a giant Secret appeared in the sky, larger than any he had faced. It slowly drifted towards the earth, a gaping abyss sucking the earth to its end. He felt himself being crushed and pulled by the intense gravity. Crushed? Wouldn't it feel like stretching? He couldn't breathe. He burst awake, pushing Noah away and holding him. He shook his head.

"Noah?" Ao asked, looking at him.

"A man came and dropped him off this morning." Amber smiled. Ao looked at her and then out the window. It was bright and nice outside. He looked back at Amber.

"I'm sorry for being so rude" Ao apologized. He sat up correctly, placing Noah on his lap. Amber walked over and sat next to him.

"I should apologize too. I'm sure our parents are a rough topic for you. I just thought that if I was over it, you'd tell me everything about them." Amber gave a shy laugh. Ao hugged Noah tight.

"It's just… They've done so much." Ao said, his voice shaking slightly. "They defied the odds and what they believed in just for me… for us." Amber put her hand on his shoulder.

"That's why siblings, like us, need to stick together in these situations." She smiled. Her smile was just like Eureka's. A tear fell from Ao's eye. He smiled. He had a great sister. Ao sat with Amber and described how Eureka and Toshio had raised him and how she left. He explained how he met her in the Gekko and how was pregnant with Amber. He described Renton and how he came to finish off the Scub just for them. He finished by explaining how he had left them by firing the Quartz Gun for the last time. Amber listened and nodded intently. When Ao finished, Amber stood up. She wiped her eyes.

"They really sound great," she sniffled. "I'm sure you have things to do, I don't want to keep you." Ao nodded. He stood up and Noah climbed onto his back. He walked out the door and started towards the elevators.

* * *

"There has been no sign of the Quartz yet," Christophe informed Ao. Ao sighed. Christophe patted him on the back. "Hey, we're not going to stop digging until there is no doubt as to the existence of the Quartz." Christophe gave a wry smile. Ao looked back at him distressed but, Christophe's smile was natural again.

"_Maybe I'm just being paranoid._" Ao thought, rubbing his eyes. He walked out of Christophe's office and this time, Fleur greeted him.

"Where's Amber and Naru?" she asked, walking with him to the elevator. Ao thought for a moment.

"Um… I guess I don't know." he shrugged. "I talked with Amber this morning, but I haven't seen Naru all day." Ao stepped into the elevator and scanned his device.

"**Restricted Access: Ao Thurston**" the voice chimed out. Fleur did the same. "**Restricted Access: Fleur Blanc**" Ao raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you have access to the hangar?" he asked.

"I'm a pilot," Fleur replied indignantly.

"So your dad took my advice?" Ao continued.

"Not exactly... He had me do a lot of testing before he let me." Fleur explained. The elevator arrived and they stepped out. A technician waved them over to a table. Laid out across the table were two flight suits and helmets.

"Try them on!" he said excitedly. Ao and Fleur picked them up and went to the changing rooms. Ao pulled the slightly baggy sleeves onto his arms and clipped the helmet to the suit. He walked back out to the technician. Fleur came out in her blue suit at the same time.

"How is it?" He asked. Ao and Fleur looked at each other.

"Kinda big?" Fleur replied unsure of what to expect. The technician nodded and wrote on a clipboard. "Can we try them in the IFOs?" she asked. The technician shook his head.

"President Blanc specifically said not to let anyone fly today." he said, scribbling another note on the board. Ao looked at Fleur and Fleur shrugged back.

"Is that all then?" she asked.

"Yes. Please come back tomorrow to test the adjusted suits." he finished, walking back to the table. Fleur and Ao walked back and changed. They walked together to the elevator. Ao yawned.

"Busy day?" Fleur asked, smiling.

"I don't know." Ao replied. "For some reason I feel like I'm doing less, but getting more and more tired." He yawned again. They exited on the living area floor. They silently walked back to their houses. Ao could only think of how nice it would be to sleep.

"Did you eat anything?" Fleur asked Ao. Ao thought for a second.

"No, I don't think I ate anything all day because I woke up late." he replied.

"That's terrible! Do you want to come over for dinner?" Fleur asked. Ao stared at Fleur for a moment.

"Come over for dinner?" he repeated. She nodded.

"Yeah, mom always makes too much so it won't be a problem." She reassured him.

"Ok, if you think so." Ao shrugged. Fleur smiled and they walked to her door. She opened it wide and walked in. "I'm home!" she yelled towards a doorway. Fleur's mother's head leaned back looking through it.

"Oh, you brought a friend too!" Sylvie smiled and waved at Ao. Ao waved back. Fleur took off her shoes and walked into the kitchen.

"You remember Ao, right mom?" Fleur asked, leaning on the counter.

"Oh yes! I thought I remembered his hair." She looked back at Ao. "You're the first boy Fleur has brought home." she told Ao.

"Don't say it like that!" Fleur yelled. "You know there is no one my age around here!" Sylvie just laughed.

"Don't yell! You're making a scene." Sylvie said opening the oven. "Dinner is almost ready, so would you set the table?"

"Fine." Fleur replied in a huff. Ao just stood quietly in the livingroom.

"_They're a lot more relaxed than I expected._" He thought. He looked around the house. It was a lot less lavish than he thought the president's house would be. He saw family photos and other homely items laid out nicely. He walked over to a photo sitting on a table. Pictured was a much younger Fleur sitting between Christophe and Sylvie in a garden. They were all smiling happily and Fleur was holding a stuffed bear. Ao smiled. They seemed like a quaint family. He paused. He thought about Dr. Fukai and his mother. They were a bit of a different type of family.

"Come sit down." Fleur called over to Ao. Ao turned and walked over. In the other room, the table was set for four and Sylvie was bringing over a plate with food.

"Where is your father? It's getting late." Sylvie noted, checking the clock. As she set down the plate, they heard the door open and slam. "There he is!" Fleur sat down and Ao sat next to her. They could hear muffled talking and things being put down. Christophe and Sylvie walked in together. Christophe looked at Ao surprised.

"Good evening Ao." He said sitting down. Sylvie sat down next to him. "Alright. Dear, thank you for, as always, making a great meal. Let's eat!" He smiled. They all started eating.

"So, how goes the dig?" asked Sylvie to both Ao and Christophe. Ao looked to Christophe as well.

"Nothing yet, but I think we're close." Christophe assured them. "Tru-." Christophe paused. "The dig site manager assured me that it would take a month at most to conclude if there is any Quartz." He looked over at Fleur and Ao. "So! How were the flight suits?" he grinned.

"They were a little big, Fleur told him, "we'll be going back to try them on again tomorrow. I can't wait to give it a test flight!" Fleur shivered excitedly. Christophe looked up quickly.

"I'm sorry, but the technicians informed me that they want to make some drastic adjustments that make take a while." Christophe explained. "They wanted to test out something new."

"Aww… I was excited." Fleur sighed. Christophe smiled.

"I promise you'll get to fly as much as you want when the IFOs are ready." he reassured her. "But for now, I think it best for us all to rest." Christophe stood up. "If you'll excuse me." he walked off. They three finished eating and got up.

"I can help clean." Ao volunteered.

"Oh no, you don't worry about that, you're Fleur's guest." Sylvie swatted away the notion. "You two go walk back to your house. It's late!" Ao nodded and he and Fleur walked out the front door. They cut across the grass to Ao's front door. He turned to Fleur.

"Well, thanks for inviting me over." He smiled. "You mother is very nice."

"Ugh," Fleur sighed, "she's so embarrassing." She waved and started walking back. Ao opened his door. He got ready for bed.

"_I guess I'll just have to wait until the dig site gives results_." Ao thought. He slid under his blankets. "_Something worse than secrets? How is that possible?_" He slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

AN: Thanks for continuing to read! It really means a lot! Thanks to those who have left reviews!


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